Fernando Padilla-Ramirez
Profile
Age: 26
From: Yuma, Ariz.
Assigned to Marine Wing Support Squadron-371, Marine Wing Support Group-37, Marine Corps Air Station, Yuma, Ariz. went missing while conducting convoy operations near Nasiriyah, Iraq. His remains were identified April 10.
Incident: Marine Sgt. Fernando Padilla-Ramirez died
Died: March 28, 2003
Fernando Padilla-Ramirez was born in Mexico and was naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 2001. He joined the Marines as a teenager, serving for four years and then signing up for another three.
Once he finished his military service, Padilla-Ramirez, 26, planned to return to San Luis, Ariz., and become a police officer.
On March 28, his convoy was attacked near the town of Nasiriyah, and he was reported missing. His remains were identified April 10.
Padilla-Ramirez grew up one block from the San Luis Police station. When he was 12, he started pestering the department about joining its Police Explorers program — even though he knew the minimum age was 14. Padilla-Ramirez came around so often he was finally made an unofficial observer. He was a graduate of Kofa High School in Yuma, Ariz.
“He was a very quiet, respectful kid. He made friends with everybody,” Police Officer Luis Marquez said.
Padilla-Ramirez had already finished...